The Fires of Saint Anthony the Abbot

the night between 16 and 17 January, in many towns in Sardinia, Saint Anthony the Abbot is commemorated. The symbol of the celebration is the fire that burns piles of wood, around which the community gathers to ask the saint for grace and miracles, exchanging food and wine prepared for the occasion. Fire with its beneficial properties: against human and livestock diseases or for the hope of a good harvest.
The rite of fire of Saint Anthony, between Christian devotion and ancient pagan traditions, has been documented since the mid-19th century, even if its origins go back to more remote times. Saint Anthony, an exponent of Egyptian asceticism of the third century after Christ, a staunch defender of humanity against devils and hell. According to legend, he went to hell with his ferula rod and his piglet, managing to steal a spark of fire to bring as a gift to humanity, which until then was forced to survive the cold.
There are about a hundred places where bonfires are set up, in honor of the saint. The rite begins the previous days with the choice, collection and transport of shrubs to burn, usually bundles or hollow plants inside. The entire community participates in the collection and transport of wood. Bonfires, in the various towns of Sardinia, take on different names, sometimes deriving from the type of wood used. The most generic and common term is fogadoni or fogadone. Other names derive from the type of wood used: sa tuva (which indicates the hollow oak wood inside, devoid of branches and roots), sas frascas (shrubs of the Mediterranean scrub, such as strawberry tree, mastic tree, cistus) and su romasinu (rosemary branches). The trunks are placed in a vertical position in the center of the square, often in front of the church dedicated to the saint, as if to recall the structure of the saint's ferula. In the holes of the cut branches, some bay leaves are inserted, which will be used to light the fire. Once the preparation of the bonfire is finished, the priest blesses the logs and the fire. From that moment on, the party can begin, which continues all night until the fire is spontaneously extinguished. The drawings created by smoking provide omens and prophecies for the agrarian year. The festivities are accompanied by traditional dances and songs, the distribution and sharing of wine, desserts and breads prepared for the occasion.
In many countries, the feast of Saint Anthony marks the beginning of Carnival. Mamoiada witnessed the dressing and the first public release of the traditional masks of the Mamuthones and the Issohadores (she knows before Essia). In Ottana we celebrate s'Ogulone de Sant'Antoni and we know the first day (release) of Boes and Merdules. In Orotelli, the Thurpos stage propitiatory rites. Even in other places such as Bosa, Neoneli, Oniferi and Orani, the lighting of the fires represents the beginning of the

carnival.

Update

9/1/2024 - 18:56